WEBF,
The compression techniques and other methods of maximizing bandwidth that are available today compared to 10 or 15 years ago lead me to believe that in the future we will find better methods. If I could predict what they are, I would be a rich man! Yes weather does cause a problem but it is not inconceivable that in 10 years time it would not be a problem.
1 Mbit/sec may be a large amount of data to us now but a 56K modem was considered impressive 10 years ago.
Predator with Hellfire missile is just a start. Compare Wilbur and Orville Wrights efforts compared to the Supermarine Spitfire 4 decades later, or compare the Spitfire to the F16.
Yes casualties are more politically palatable since Sept 11 but at the same time funding for UAVs has increased massively during the same period.
I'm sure most pilots could tell you a few stories of how they lost or nearly lost their aircraft due to their own actions.
"I would not want to see one being used for CAS."
Who is to say that the controller of the UAV providing the CAS is not colocated with the infanteer? The UAV could be launched from thousands of miles away and loiter for hours on end in the target area. Control could be handed over to a ground controller local to the infanteer - doesn't have to be in the firing line, could be 10 miles away.
"As for computers, they will never be foolproof. They might get faster, but software is still liable to be full of bugs."
Historically materials have failed (metal fatigue etc.) and have been replaced by better materials or better monitoring - in time computers develop in the same way. Software and processors that have been used for many years are likely to be pretty reliable as bugs are ironed out over time.
MROC,
In time attitudes change. Whilst now it may seem unthinkable to most people to have a pilotless transport, in 2030 it could be the norm. 30 years ago a driverless train would have been unthinkable, now however we are seeing automated monorails and the like beginning to pop up.
Flying an aircraft low-level using TFR whilst in IMC strikes me as a rather scary thing to do - trusting your life to a computer getting it right, but it can be and is done so I'm led to believe.
GB